For a longstanding convention, the current system for signups is absolutely unacceptable. It is sneering in the face of artists sending a clear statement that our time is not valuable. While the support AT con is always amazing, signups are an annual nightmare. AB KNOWS that the servers are flooded for applications. It is not something new. The website's inability to load is a regular joke. And while I appreciate the notice that they won't open until 6 (rather than letting me continue the refresh hell), delaying it to later in the day, spending 6+ hours on signups without a guaranteed spot is a waste of my time. Some artists have jobs or other obligations that they step away from in order to complete applications. As soon as the tweet went out, the servers performed fine. It's not the servers. It's the setup of this system.

There are conventions with larger or comparable numbers that run much smoother for various reasons: third-party hosting signups for FCFS or an alternate style of application. While I do appreciate FCFS, with an announced time, the current way the system is set up is unacceptable.